Swivel head tool



Nov. 5, 1935. J w GEDDES 2,020,242

swivEL HEAD TOOL Filed Jan. 3, 1955 Invenfon- Jbhn W aeddea, Qya34 M/ MPatented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES ATENT orrisE SWIVEL HEAD TOOL ofMassachusetts Application January 3, 1935, Serial No. 226

13 Claims.

This invention relates to lever-operated tools, of whicha bolt clippermay be considered as a typical example, and more particularly to toolsin which the jaws may be placed. in various angular positions relativeto the operating handle system. A tool of this general type is disclosedin United States patent to Sweet 873,333 and more recently they havebeen practically utilized in substantially the form shown in the patentto Lawson 1,959,587. The object of the present invention is to provide asimple and effective construction for a tool of this type having variousadvantages which facilitate the manufacture thereof andmake the usethereof more convenient, as will appear to those skilled in the art fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:-

' Fig. 1 is a partial plan of'a bolt clipper illustrative of theprinciples of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective of one of the parts.

Referring to the drawing, I have there shown a bolt clipper embodyinggenerally a jaw lever system and an actuating handle lever system. Theactuating lever system comprises a handle lever mechanism proper whichincludes the long handles 5 pivoted together at l and adapted as theyare operated to move towards or from each other points corresponding tothe position of the pins 9, these points herein being located onadjusting sections ll rigidly but adjustably secured to the handlelevers. The construction of the adjusting sections herein superficiallyillustrated is that more fully disclosedin the patent to Porter1,874,616 and requires no extensive description herein as the handlelevers 5 and adjusting sections ll might be merged as unitary parts sofar as the principles of the present invention are concerned.

Herein the lever system is such that the lever mechanism efiects aparallel movement and for this purpose the sections ll carry on the pins9 blocks I3, shown separately in Fig. 4, whichherein are duplicates inconstruction but reversed in position. These blocks l3, as best seen inFigs. 2 and 4, may be recessed at I5 to receive the ears Ila oftheadjusting sections and each is provided on one side with a guidewayI1 having overhanging flanges I9 adapted to slidably receive a bar 2|fixed to a recess 23 on the opposite block. Herein the pins 9 not onlypivotally secure the blocks l5 to the ears Ha but serve to clamp thebars 2| in the recesses 23, the pins terminating so as to leave theguideway I! at the opposite face of the block unobstructed to receivethe bar 2i extending from the companion block. The blocks and bars thusform slides which telescope and as the handle levers are 5 operated theblocks move parallel'to one another in the plane of the paper viewingFig. 1.

The jaw lever system is attached to'the blocks it to be actuated by themin their movement. Herein I show jaw levers or blades 25 of conven- 10tional form such as are used in known types of bolt clippers pivotallyrelated to each other, herein by being pivoted to the connecting straps21, equal and opposite movement being enforced by the ge'ar'teeth 29.Attached to the usual pivot holes at the inner ends of these blades bymeans of bolts 3i and further secured by set screws 33 are sections 35embracing the lower ends of the blades 25 and having depending portions31 constituting in effect the tails of the jaw levers. Abutments 39 onthe blocks l3, herein shown as projecting upwardly therefrom, and movingparallel to one another with the blocks may be received between the tailportions 31 of the jaw levers and a connection is provided therebetweenpermitting the adjustment of the jaw levers to various angular positionsrelative to the plane of the handle levers, as indicated in Fig. 2, andalso permitting the operating swinging movement of the jaws. For thispurpose the joints embody mating spherical surfaces on the opposed partsand herein the opposed faces of the abutments 39 and the tail portions31 are provided with shallow recesses of spherical contour but in extentless than hemispheres, which receive interposed balls ll. on which atleast one of the parts turns. Herein I have shown entirely separate andindependent balls ii. To hold the parts of the joint together and toenforce movement of the jaw levers in opening I may utilize membersattached to the parts carrying one element of the joint and engaging thecompanion element at the opposite side and I herein show keepers ea inthe form of short bars secured to and extending upwardly from the blocksl3 and engaging the outer surfaces of the tails 3'5 of the jaw levers atpoints diametrical to the balls 4|, that is, in the line of theircenters. The outer surfaces of the..tails.3l of the jaw levers may berounded off spherically, as shown, to permit the use of rigid keeperbars while permitting operating movement of the jaw levers in theirplane or adjusting movement thereof angularly about the line of centers,which in the construction shown 55 is parallel to the line along whichthe blocks I3 approach and recede from each other.

It will be understood that the head or jaw lever system of the tool maybe swung as a whole about the line of centers of the balls 4| to thedesired angular position relative to the plane of the handle levers, asindicated in Fig. 2 by way of example by the showing of a dotted lineposition, and that the tool may be operated in such angular position.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention herein shown one of thelever systems, herein the handle lever system, comprising the blocks I3,operates with a parallel motion. As a result of this construction,whatever the angular position of the head, there is no wringing motionin the ball joint as the tool is operated in its cutting movement, aresult not hitherto obtained in tools having angularly adjustable heads.Moreover, referring to Fig. 1, on account of the parallel movement ofthe abutments 39 it is unnecessary to provide any scope of movement inthe joints on account of the movement of the handles and a particularlycompact construction at the joint is provided for. The constructionherein utilized for swivellingly connecting the jaw system and leversystem also makes for compactness and simplicity in a tool of the swivelhead type and gives freedom and amplitude of motion since it is notnecessary to retain the ball by a socket embracing a diametral planethereof.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and Itherefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respectsas illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appendedclaims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope ofthe invention.

I claim:

1. A tool of the class described comprising pivotally related jaw leversand an actuating lever system comprising parts arranged to move parallelto one another in a plane on operation of said system, the tails of thejaw levers having a pivotal connection to said parts permitting them tobe adjusted angularly relative to such plane.

2. A tool of the class described comprising a handle lever mechanism, apair of interengaging slides arranged for relative telescoping movementthereby and pivotally related jaw levers connected respectively to saidslides by joints permitting them to be swung about an axis parallel tothe line of movement of said slides.

3. A tool of the class described comprising a handle lever mechanism, apair of interengaging slides arranged for relative telescoping movementthereby, abutments carried by the slides, pivotally related jaw membershaving tails overlying said abutments and bearings between saidabutments and lever tails comprising mating spherical surfaces aboutwhich at least one of the parts may turn.

4. In a tool a handle lever mechanism, a pair of blocks pivoted theretoto be moved thereby, means for interengaging the blocks for slidingmovement along a, line parallel to the line connecting the pivots, jawlevers and means for adjustably connecting them to the blocks to permittheir operating plane to be positioned at variant angles to theoperating plane of the handle lever mechanism.

5. A tool of the class described comprising interpivoted handle levers,interpivoted jaw levers, a pair of blocks pivoted to one set of levers,means governing their movement effective to cause them to move along aline parallel to the line connecting their pivots as the associatedlevers swing relatively and means for adjustably 5 connecting the otherset of levers to the blocks permitting the positioning of the sets oflevers in variant intersecting planes.

6. A tool of the class described comprising interpivoted handle levers,interpivoted jaw le- \0 vers, a pair of blocks pivoted to one set oflevers, means interengaging the blocks for relative sliding movementalong a line parallel to the line connecting their pivots as theassociated levers swing relatively and means for adjustably connectingthe other set of levers to the blocks permitting the positioning of thesets of levers in variant intersecting planes.

' 7. A tool of the class described comprising an actuating lever systemcomprising abutments arranged to move parallel to one another in a planeon operation of the system, pivotally related jaw levers having tailsoverlying the abutments, joints between the opposed surfaces of theparts comprising mated spherical surfaces and including a female portionnot greater than a hemisphere in extent and about which at least one ofthe parts is adapted to turn and keepers each carried by one of thejoined elements overlying the opposite side of the cooperating elementto hold the elements of the joint engaged.

8. A tool of the class described comprising an actuating lever systemcomprising abutments arranged to move parallel to one another in a planeA on operation of the system, pivotally related jaw levers having tailsoverlying the abutments, joints between the opposed surfaces of theparts comprising mating spherical surfaces in themselves freelyseparable about which at least one of the parts is adapted to turn andkeepers each carried by one of the joined elements overlying theopposite side of the cooperating element to hold the elements of thejoint engaged.

9. A tool of the class described comprising an actuating lever systemcomprising abutments arranged to move parallel to one another in a planeon operation of the system, pivotally related jaw levers having tailsoverlying the abutments, joints between the opposed surfacesof the partscomprising mating spherical surfaces in themselves freely separableabout which at least one of the parts is adapted to turn, the oppositesides of one of the joined parts' of each pair being rounded concentricwith said surface and keep-: ers each carried by the cooperating elementand overlying said surfaces to hold the elements of the joint engaged.

10. A tool of the class described comprising interpivoted handle levers,interpivoted jaw levers, a pair of blocks pivoted to one set of levers,means governing their movement effective to cause them to move along aline parallel to the line connecting their pivots as the associatedlevers swing relatively, joints between the other set of levers and theblocks comprising mating spherical surfaces in themselves freelyseparable about which at least one of the parts is adapted to turn andkeepers each carried by one of the joined elements overlying theopposite side of the cooperating ele-: ment to hold the elements of thejoint engaged.

11. A tool of the class described comprising an actuating lever systemcomprising abutments adapted to move towards and from one another onoperation of said system, pivotally related jaw. levers having tailsoverlying said abutments, the 7 Opposed surfaces of said abutments andtails having recesses less than a hemisphere in extent, a ball receivedin said recesses on which at least one of the parts is adapted to turn,and keepers each carried by one of the joined elements overlying theopposite sides of the cooperating element and engaging the samesubstantially diametrically of the balls.

12. A tool of the class described comprising an actuating lever systemcomprising abutments arranged to move parallel to one another in a planeon operation of said system, pivotally related jaw levers having tailsoverlying said abutments, the opposed surfaces of said abutments-andtails having recesses less than a hemisphere in extent, a separatecomplete ball received in the recesses and keepers each carried by oneof the joined elements overlying the opposite side of the cooperatingelement to hold the joints engaged.

13. A tool of the class described comprising a handle lever mechanism, apair of interengaging slides arranged for relative telescoping movementthereby, abutments carried bythe slides, pivotally related jaw membershaving tails overlying said abutments and bearings between saidabutments and lever tails comprising mating spherical surfaces aboutwhich at least one of the 10 parts may turn, the outer portions of oneof the joined parts being rounded, and means carried by the others ofthe joined parts overlying said outer portion in diametrical alignmentwith the spherical surfaces to hold the joints together.

JOHN W. GEDDES.

